Merry Christmas, Canucks fans! We’re nearly halfway through the 2024–25 NHL season, and there are lots of things that the Vancouver Canucks hope to end this season with. Take a look to see what this team would want within the Twelve Days of Canuck-mas.
Note: this article becomes much more fun to read if you sing the headlines to the tune of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” If you’re looking to annoy everyone you’re spending the holidays with, then you’re welcome for the suggestion.
One Norris Trophy Repeat
Quinn Hughes has continued the success brought on by last season, posting eight goals and 34 assists in 34 games. He’s been at the top of the “best defenceman in the NHL” talks this season, despite claims that other contenders are “lapping the field offensively.” He currently leads the league in goals-for by a defenceman with 49.
Two Puck-Moving Defencemen
By puck-moving defencemen, I’m referring to those who can bring it out of their zone to initiate more offensive chances. The likelihood of the Canucks being able to grab two of them before the March 7 trade deadline is pretty slim, but if they can pull that off, it’s hard to think of this team as anything but an unexpected force in the playoffs.
Three Trades Before The Deadline
Three trades before the deadline give or take. Canucks management has been vocal about how they’re looking to make some moves to this roster. While things didn’t get sorted out before the holiday break’s roster freeze, players are bound to get moved within the next month or so. Ideally, the aforementioned puck-movers would be at the top of this list.
Four Playoff Series
… And four wins in every series.
Five 2025 Draft Picks
The Canucks currently have six picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, but once the trade wheel starts rolling, it’s unlikely that they’ll have the same amount. Don’t be surprised if Vancouver ends the season without their first-round pick (or their second-round pick, but I went with five picks because the number four in this list was already taken).
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Six 20+ Goal Scorers
With this roster, six 20+ goal scorers is definitely doable. Who knows, with the tear that players like Pius Suter and Kiefer Sherwood are currently on, it might even end up being eight. The team’s current leader in goals is Jake DeBrusk, who has 15. Five players have at least 10. Not only do the Canucks want this result by the end of the season, but they could realistically make it happen.
Seven Goalie Shutouts
Have I jinxed Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen by saying the “s” word? Hopefully not. However, the two goalies are already almost halfway to this goal with Lankinen’s three shutouts on the season, with these coming against the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Florida Panthers.
Eight Wins In February
We’ve reached the point in the list where things start getting a little ambitious. The Canucks play eight games in February due to the 4 Nations Face Off occurring from February 12 to 20. A 100% win rate in one month is rare, but definitely a little easier to pull off if there are only eight games to play as opposed to twelve or fifteen.
Nine Goals In One Game
Scoring nine goals in one game is by no means easy, but it’s also not impossible. The last time Vancouver did so was in last November’s match against the San Jose Sharks, in which they added another to make the final score 10–1. They also put nine up against the Bruins in 2020. Could they have another nine-goal game in the near future?
Ten Hits From Pettersson
Elias Pettersson looks the most engaged in a game when he is actively making hits and playing physically. His highest hit count in one game throughout his career has been nine, which he accomplished in January 2024 in a 6–4 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He had a goal and an assist in this game. 10 hits in a game would be a big outlier, but it might be the thing Pettersson needs to bump his ‘slump.’
Eleven Million In Cap Space
The Canucks have six-ish players due to test unrestricted free agency by the end of this season, unless anything happens within the next few months (Linus Karlsson could become a group-six UFA). They also have restricted free agent contracts to dish out to Max Sasson and Erik Brännström. The season after, they’ll have seven expiring UFA contracts including Demko’s, Sherwood’s, and Conor Garland’s. Vancouver will need as much cap space as possible if they hope to add more and keep parts of their roster.
Twelve Million In Cap Space (As Well)
11 + 12 = 23 million to spend in free agency and to re-sign players already in the system.
